Genetic variation in the human genome controls a compendium of cellular and physiological components that make up human biology. The Ray Lab is interested in better understanding how genetic variation tunes our immune system and how this can put individuals at risk for autoimmune diseases, which is a vital step in developing more effective therapeutics with fewer side effects.
Because most genetic risk for autoimmune diseases occurs in non-coding regions of the genome, the Ray lab studies how non-coding genetic variants modulate cis-regulatory regions and alter immune cell activities that lead to autoimmune disease susceptibility. We prioritize likely disease-causal variants and cis-regulatory regions, and, in human and mouse systems, identify variant target genes and pathways and define their functional effects on immune cells.
These studies will inform efforts for personalized therapies and disease prevention.
![Ray Lab Inline - Group Photo](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_image_w_o_cropping_1x/public/2023-05/ray-lab-group-photo.jpg?itok=JQRFr6dc)
![John Ray](/sites/default/files/styles/staff_hero_staff_feature_1x/public/2023-05/bio-john-ray.jpg?itok=tl1pnpmH)
John Ray, PhD
![Full-width - BRI Lab Samples 1](/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_image_w_box_1x/public/2023-05/full-width-bri-lab-samples-1.jpg?itok=byNRf2T5)
Lab Members
![Max Dippel](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2023-08/bio-max-dippel.jpg?itok=lZT_l4L1)
Maxwell Dippel, MS
![Alex Ho](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2023-04/bio-alex-ho.jpg?itok=1JZLRrNT)
Alex Ho, PhD
![Lucy Li](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2023-04/bio-lucy-li.jpg?itok=MzG4WFox)
Lucy Li
![Meghan McQuade](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2023-08/bio-meghan-mcquade.jpg?itok=XSPUFEaU)
Meghan McQuade
![Leann Nguyen](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2024-02/Bio%20LeAnn%20Nguyen.jpg?itok=ey1Kp4dg)
LeAnn Nguyen, PhD
![Amelia Querbach](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2024-01/Bio%20Amelia%20Querbach.jpg?itok=OVyI9vee)
Amelia Querbach
![Bio Stephanie Ryder](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_lab_member_card_1x/public/2024-03/Bio%20Stephanie%20Ryder.jpg?itok=5aJ-3j3k)
Stephanie Ryder
Research Projects
![Ray Lab Research Project Preview - Defining Variants](/sites/default/files/styles/horizontal_landing_card_1x/public/2023-05/ray-lab-res-proj-prev-defining-variants.png?itok=TwjqRRZj)
Defining variants that act collectively to promote disease
![Ray Lab Research Project Preview - Mapping cis regulatory regions](/sites/default/files/styles/horizontal_landing_card_1x/public/2023-04/ray-lab-proj-prev-mapping-cis-regulatory-regions.jpg?itok=JiGIDu-V)
Mapping cis-regulatory regions that control immune cell function genome-wide
![Ray Lab Research Project Preview - Connecting Risk Variants](/sites/default/files/styles/horizontal_landing_card_1x/public/2023-04/ray-lab-res-proj-prev-connecting-risk-variants.jpg?itok=NjSWCsTs)